Mr. Christiansen's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 47

• Vocabulary Books for Amazing Kids!

  Funded Dec 14, 2015

  Thank you so much for helping me to bring this vocabulary system to my students. They have really enjoyed working with it. I think my kids clearly see the value of being able to work exclusively on vocabulary development. At this point, I am starting to see them use more complicated vocabulary in their conversations and their writing.

  With the help of a lot of different free online resources, my students are able to play games, take quizzes and get listening support for the system – critical supports for my English Language Learners. This is now a part of our weekly practice and even an afterschool program exclusively for this program and these books. The impact is tremendous, prodigious, gargantuan, even.

  Thanks to you, my students are learning better vocabulary at their own level and with their own books. I have said it many times before, but there is such power in taking a book, putting in a child's hands and telling them, "This is yours."

  You helped make this possible for so many of my students. Thank you so much for your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

  This classroom project was brought to life by Dorothy and 12 other donors.

• Kids Learn American Voices with Sherman Alexie

  Funded Dec 4, 2015

  Thank you so much for donating to our classroom! Without your help, my students would never be able to read this excellent book as a class. Now, we will be able to read Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and examine the ideas of adolescence, identity and what it is like to live between cultures. Alexie's book brings so much to my students in an insightful and funny way. I know already that this will be one of my kids' favorite books of the year. It's going to offer some amazing conversations and perhaps some difficult ones, but it is an amazing book and completely worth it. All of my students are very excited as we begin to learn with these

  Thank you so much for helping to make this possible. I know that this will be one of the most discussed and important books of our school year and it will have effects far beyond our classroom. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

• Students Learn the Dystopian Genre with Orwell's 1984

  Funded May 18, 2015

  Thank you so much for donating to our classroom! Without your help, my students would never be able to read this excellent book as a class. Now, we will be able to read Orwell's 1984 and teach kids to become aware and scrutinizing citizens. It's going to offer some amazing conversations and perhaps some difficult ones, but it is an amazing book and completely worth it. All of my students are very excited as we begin to learn with these

  Thank you so much for helping to make this possible. I know that this will be one of the most discussed and important books of our school year and it will have effects far beyond our classroom. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

• Kids Get Excited for Reading with iPad Minis!

  Funded Apr 7, 2015

  Thank you so much for donating to my classroom. These iPads are already in use as my kids use them for for vocabulary and grammar skills and as media centers where students can watch and create learning materials. They have already become a regular part of our classroom for web utilities such as Google Docs, ThinkCERCA and NewsELA, helping kids to learn at their own pace.

  In the future, we will use these creative tools to make augmented reality presentations of their work from essays, to book reviews, to interactive videos of their performances of the plays that we read in class. These tools will be integrated into every part of our classwork and enable my students to learn the 21st Century literacy skills they so desperately need.

  Thank you again for your incredible generosity. You are making incredible things happen.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

• Let's Get This Place Organized... Kids Learn Better That Way!

  Funded Apr 7, 2015

  Thank you so much for donating to my classroom. These materials make such a difference, I hope you can imagine. I have needed more shelving in here all year long and these book bins will last us for years. They are all well built and in attractive colors. It makes the classroom much brighter and more inviting. These simple things make such a difference - the kids love the room freshening spray as well. It's a nice, light and non-allergenic scent that all of the kids can enjoy.

  Thank you again for your incredible generosity. Thanks to you, my classroom is a pleasant place to work.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

• Fun with Family Financial Skills: Kids Learn to Save!

  Funded Feb 4, 2015

  Thank you so much for helping to make this important piece of learning for my students possible. These books and materials will make such a difference for my students and their families, providing them with both the materials to learn about finances and budgeting in class and to bring them home for independent learning by themselves and with their families.

  This one project can have an incredible impact in my students' lives. With your help, this will be an excellent outreach to both parents in our communities and hopefully build for stronger financial skills in the future.

  This is often such an overworked piece of literacy for our children. You are really helping to make a difference here.

  Suddenly, my classroom has a financial library and the kids have already shown great interest. It is just wonderful to have kids so excited to read and to have these wonderful materials for them to explore. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

  This classroom project was brought to life by PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. and one other donor.

• Paper and Organizers for Our Crazy Creative Classroom!

  Funded Dec 10, 2014

  Thank you so much for donating to our classroom! These basic materials make such a difference – imagine trying to read and write without paper! With this donation, my kids have colorful, organized options for their work. It is amazing the difference it makes.

  When I tell kids to "Turn to the yellow sheets," "Use the purple organizers," etc., it quickly helps them to make sense of lessons and the workplace. Color-coded systems work with kids. It's incredible and helps my kids to get to the real work: practicing reading and writing with rigor.

  Thank you so much for helping to make this possible. It is wonderful to have kids excited to work, happy to use colorful materials and make their own individual choices about the way the want to present their projects. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen.

  All the best,”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

• Amazing Graphic Novel Classics for Reluctant Readers!

  Funded Oct 15, 2014

  Thank you so much for donating to our classroom! These books have become a well-loved part of our classroom already. These classic superhero stories and graphic novel interpretations have been amazingly popular. I love seeing my kids clamoring to get to read Kafka or Vonnegut – I never would have imagined how much they would love these stories.

  These graphic novels cover a lot of different genres, including some hard to access non-fiction subjects and many classic stories that my students will be able to read and enjoy.

  As the year goes ahead, we're going to use these books to develop an expanded genre study of the graphic novel and use these works to explore different adaptations of classic works. For the moment, it is just wonderful to have kids so excited to read and to have these wonderful materials for them to explore. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen.

  All the best,

  Keith Christiansen”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

  This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo and 3 other donors.

• Help ESL Students to Improve Their Reading Skills

  Funded Jun 26, 2014

  Thank you so much for helping my students to get ESL ReadingSmart software. This year, I have more than 50 English language learners in my classroom, all with highly individual levels of learning. It is so helpful to have programs like this that can help my students to build on their own individual needs and track their own progress. This is something that would be almost impossible without programs like this. With them, we can make great strides.

  I am confident that my students will thrive when they have a chance to deal with their own language learning needs while exploring areas of personal interest at their own pace. This program provides interventions that are critical for the development of my ESL learners.

  Please know that you've had a great impact for our kids. Thank you so much for making this possible for me and my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

• Classroom Basics For Classroom Excellence!

  Funded Aug 25, 2014

  Thank you all so much for providing my students with the materials that they need to be successful at our school. These already gone to great use and our kids have loved using the staplers, markers and other materials as a part of our daily work in the classroom.

  People can really overlook the great impact that quality materials have for our students. Kids are happy to work with new and sensibly organized tools. These simple things make for an classroom that kids love being in. Keeping up with the needs of my students is just not possible without your help and generosity.

  Thank you so much for making this possible for me and my students. This is helping us to start the year off right.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Christiansen

  This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 10 other donors.